Gas discharge display/memory panel

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a gas discharge panel having a pair of elongated rectangular glass plates, each carrying on one surface a conductor array consisting of spaced parallel conductors running in the long direction of the plate and a dielectric coating on selected portions of the conductors of the array. The plates have long axes transverse to each other and are spacedly joined and sealed along an endless seal line defining a thin gas chamber in an active panel area, the seal being substantially along the edges of the long sides of the plates, the plates being of a length sufficient such that both lateral ends of the plates project beyond the active panel area and beyond the long side edges of the opposite plate member. Alternate conductors of each array are extended toward the edge of one side edge extension, respectively, the ends of alternate conductors of an array being terminated substantially short of the edge of the panel to permit slip-on or edge connectors to be applied to the conductors which do extend to the edge of the plates. Consult the specification for other features and details.

United States Patent Primary Examiner Raymond F l-lossfeld AttorneysE. J. Holler and Donald K. Wedding ABSTRACT: There is disclosed a gas discharge panel having a pair of elongated rectangular glass plates, each carrying on one surface a conductor array consisting of spaced parallel conductors running in the long direction of the plate and a dielectric coating on selected portions of the conductors of the array. The plates have long axes transverse to each other and are spacedly joined and sealed along an endless seal line defining a thin gas chamber in an active panel area, the seal being substantially along the edges of the long sides of the plates, the plates being of a length sufi'icient such that both lateral ends of the plates project beyond the active panel area and beyond the long side edges of the opposite plate member. Alternate conductors of each array are extended toward the edge of one side edge extension, respectively, the ends of alternate conductors of an array being terminated substantially short of the edge of the panel to permit slip-on or edge connectors to be applied to the conductors which do extend to the edge of the plates. Consult the specification for other features and details.

mill/W illllllllllllll lllll PATENTED HEC281971 363L287 Win -i '6 ER HGI HR I0 HAROLD J. HOEHN ATTORNEYS GAS DISCHARGE DISPLAY/MEMORY PANEL REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application contains subject matter disclosed and claimed in Baker et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,167 for Gas Discharge Display/Memory Device and Method" and is an improvement thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to gaseous discharge and/or display/memory devices and is characterized in that a pair of elongated glass support plates are joined in spaced apart relation with the long axes transverse to each other, the lateral edges in the long direction of each plate extending beyond the side edges of an opposing plate in the short direction of the plates. Conductor arrays on each of the plates having individual linear conductors parallel to the long axes of each plate, and extending toward the ends of the lateral edges in alternate fashion to provide room to make electrical connection to the conductor arrays, respectively, alternate conductors being extended on alternate sides, beyond the seal joining the two plates in spaced-apart relation and forming the edge walls of a thin gas discharge chamber. The conductors extending to the lateral edges may be oriented and grouped in any desired fashion so as to accommodate one or more circuit connectors much in the same fashion as edge connectors for printed circuit boards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front-elevational view of a gas discharge panel incorporating the invention shown substantially to scale of a panel having about a 4-inch display area.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, there is disclosed a gas discharge display and/or memory panel constituted by a pair of elongated rectangular glass plates 11 and 12 having conductor arrays 13 and 14, respectively, on opposing surfaces thereof and thin dielectric films or coatings l5 and 16 over the conductor arrays 13 and 14, respectively. An endless seal-spacer member 17 spacedly joins the two plate members with the long axis, respectively, of the plate members being at 90 to each other so that ends I2 U and 12 B of plate 12 extend beyond edges 11 U and 11 B of plate 11; and the ends 11 L and 11 R extend beyond the side edges 12 L and 12 R of plate I2. The seal 17 forms with the opposing surfaces of dielectric coatings l5 and 16, respectively, the bounding walls of a thin gas discharge chamber in which is confined under pressure a gaseous discharge medium such as for example a mixture of neon and argon or a mixture of neon and nitrogen or any other gaseous mixture which is capable of being discharged on application of suitable potentials to selected conductors of the conductor array, and at the same time produce a copious supply of charges (ions and electrons) which are alternately collectable on the surfaces of dielectric members and 16 at opposed or facing elemental or discrete areas defined by nongas contacting sides of the dielectric members as described in Baker et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,167. All of the electrically operative structural members such as dielectric All 15 and 16 and conductor arrays 13 and 14 as well as the thickness of the gas between the opposing or facing surfaces of dielectric coatings l5 and 16 are all relatively thin and the conductor members per se are fon'ned on and supported by the rigid nonconductive support members 11 and 12. Both of said support members or plates 11 and 12 are constituted by quarter-inch-thick commercially available polished plate glass, as for example commercially available soda lime glasses have been used. Conductors (usually gold, but not limited thereto) are printed on the plate members by silk screening process, photoetching or any other process for printing conductors or conductor arrays. (While printed" conductors are preferred, wires may be used.) In the panel 10, shown, conductor arrays 13 are printed on 30-mil centers and conductor array 14 are printed on similar 30-mil centers so that in a 4-inch panel display area there are a total of some 17,000 discharge points in the panel, e.g., discrete discharge cross points defined by the crossing of one conductor in conductor array 14 and one conductor in conductor array 13. Thickness of the conductive material forming conductor arrays 13 and 14 is very small being in the order of a fraction of a mil thick (about 0.] to 0.5 mil) and 2 to 6 mils wide. The thickness of dielectric layers or coatings l5 and 16 is likewise very small being usually below l to 2 mils thick. The spacing between the facing surfaces of the dielectric is likewise very small being of the order of under 10 mils thick and usually between about 4 and 6 mils and is determined by the spacer elements, shown as spacer rods 19, 20 and 21 and spacer sealant 25 of FIG. 1. Other forms of spacers may be used, as for example, small bead spacers shown in Baker et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,167.

Because of the close spacing between the conductors of the arrays, it is difficult to make electrical connection to the ends of same without interfering with or making inadvertent electrical connection to adjacent conductors. In accordance with the invention, alternate conductors in conductor array 13 are extended toward the laterally extended end 11 R or side of plate 11 and alternate adjacent conductors in array 13 are extended to the laterally extended end 11 L of plate 11. While in FIG. 1 the conductor ends are shown extending to the edges of the plates, it is to be understood that they may terminate short of the edges but beyond the ends of the alternate conductors. The identical conductor arrangement scheme is applied to conductor array 14 on plate 12 and, in fact except for gasfilling tubulation 40 on plate ll, plate 12 is identical to plate I l.

It will also be noted that the extended conductor ends are divided into groups, e.g., l3 R-Gl, l3 R-G2, l3 L-Gl and 13 L-G2. In each conductor group, only one conductor is completely without angulation namely conductors l3 R-GlA, l3 R-G2A, l3 L-GlA and I3 L-G2A; the remaining conductors are angled at such amounts and direction so that each group is separated from each other. This permits use of separate edge connectors for the individual groups, much in the same fashion as is applied to edge connectors for printed circuit boards. In this connection it will be noted that the comer edges of each plate is bevelled as at B, which bevelling, in addition to removing sharp edges also facilitates applying edge connector strips to the panel conductor groups.

Tubulation 40 is applied to plate II in a direction normal to the plane thereof by providing a counterbore 41 having a diameter to receive the end of tubulation 40. A smaller bore hole 42 completes communication to the thin gas chamber formed in the panel. A glass sealant 43 is applied about the perimeter of tubulation 40 to provide a hermetic seal. Tubulation 40 is used during vacuum bake-out of the panel to remove contaminants and to admit the operating gas mixture after which it is tipped off in the manner shown.

The length L, of plate II is greater than its width W, and the length L of plate 12 is greater than its width W and the width W of plate 12 is less than the length L, of plate 11. While in a preferred embodiment, plates 1] and 12 have identical dimensions and long axes at resulting in a square gas discharge chamber and display area, it will be appreciated that this is not necessary. When W, and W, are different, an elongated rectangular display area results and when the long axes are at transverse angles other than 90 (and not parallel), the display areas will be diamond shaped. Moreover, there may be one or more gas chambers formed. For example, instead of a single plate 12, length L, of plate 11 may be extended to be a multiple of width W of plate 12 and a plurality of plates similar to plate 12 spacedly sealed to plate II to form a plurality of individual discharge gas chambers, the conductor array 13 cooperating with a plurality of conductor arrays 14. Moreover the lateral ends 11 R and 111., for example may be extended and the conductor ends angled 90 toward edge ll 8 so that edge connection for array 13 may be applied to the panel on edge 11 B.

It will be noted that alternate conductor ends 30 not extended to the lateral edges of the panel do however, extend for a short distance beyond spacer sealant 25 and also beyond the edges of the dielectric-coatings 15 and [6. Dielectric coatings l and 16 are solder glass materials that are screened on to the plates in the form of a glass frit which is cured in place. Similarly, the spacer sealant 25 is a ceramic material applied after curing of dielectric coating and 16. After spacer sealant 25 is fired to cure same, the tubulation 40 applied, the entire assembly is annealed. Throughout the process and particularly during the curing of dielectric coatings l5 and 16, there is a possibility that one or more of lines of conductor in the array may open or acquire an abnormal resistance. Ends 30 are available for purposes of making electrical continuity tests and resistance measurements on the panel conductors after fabrication is completed or at any stage in the manufacturing process following curing of dielectric coatings 15 and 16.

What is claimed is: 1. In a gas discharge display device comprising a first glass plate member having a length L, and a width W,, where L, is greater than W,, a second glass plate member having a length L, and a width W,, where L is greater than W and W, is less than L,, i

a first conductor array on said first plate member, alternate conductors of which extend toward the lateral ends, respectively, of its plate member whereby electrical connection can be made to alternate conductors at each lateral end of said first plate member, a thin dielectric coating on the conductors in said first conductor array,

a second conductor array on said second plate member, al-

ternate conductors of which extend toward the lateral ends, respectively, of its plate member whereby electrical connection can be made to alternate conductors at each lateral end of said second plate member, a thin dielectric coating on the conductor in said second array,

said extended ends of said alternate conductors on each plate being physically grouped with substantially equal members per group, with the said extended ends of substantially all conductors in each group being angulated first away from the long axis thereof and then parallel to the said long axis,

spacer-sealant means joining said plates in spaced apart relation with the long axis of said plates, respectively, being transverse to each other to form a thin gas chamber and the lateral ends of each plate member extending beyond the side edges of the other plate member, a gaseous discharge medium in said thin chamber,

a gas filling tubulation which extends in a direction normal to said thin gas chamber, and

means for mounting said gas filling tubulation on one of said plates comprising, means forming a counterbore in said one plate, an end of said gas tubulation being inserted in said counterbore, a smaller bore concentric with said counterbore and completing the communication to said thin gas chamber for said tubulation, and a glass sealant hermetically placed around the perimeter of said tubulation and forming a hermetic seal therefor.

2. In a flat gas discharge panel, having a pair of elongated support plates, each having a long axis and a short axis,

spacer-sealant means joining said plates in spaced relation and at a transverse angle to each other to form a thin-gas chamber, a gaseous discharge medium in said thin chamber, row and column conductor arrays on said plates, respectively, and each array being parallel to the long axis of its support plate, alternate ones of said conductors being extended towards the opposite edges,

respectively, and said extended ends being adapted for connection to electrical operating potentials from opposite ends, respectively, of said plates, a pair of thin dielectric layers, one on each conductor array and extending at least to said spacer sealant and to which said spacer sealant is joined to form said thin gas chamber, the improvements comprising;

said extended ends of said alternate conductors being physically grouped with substantially equal numbers of conductors per group, with the said extended ends of substantially all conductors in each group being angulated, first, away from the said long axis and then parallel to said long axis.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, further improvement wherein the angulations in said conductors occur beyond said spacer-sealant means, and wherein said angulation for each conductor in a group occurs at the same distance from an edge of a plate.

4. In a gas discharge display panel comprising in combination,

a pair of elongated flat glass plates each of said glass plates being identically formed and having a conductor array thereon comprised of a plurality of spaced parallel conductors from about 2 to 6 mils in width running in the long direction of said plates, respectively, and a pair of thin dielectric layers, one on each conductor array, and endless spacer-sealant means sealingly joining said plates in spaced relation to define a thin gas discharge chamber between the dielectric layers, and a gas in said chamber, said plates and conductors being oriented such that the axes of said plates along the long dimensions thereof are at transverse angles to each other to define a plurality of discrete discharge points, the respective ends of said plates extending beyond the side edges of the other plate, and said dielectric layers extending beyond said endless spacer-sealant means, alternate ones only of said conductors extending toward one edge of said plates and the others only of said conductors extending toward the opposite edge of said plates, respectively,

wherein the ends of alternate conductors not extended to the said lateral edges project at a short distance beyond the said spacer-sealant means and also a short distance beyond the edges of said dielectric layers, respectively, so that each terminal end of a conductor is exposed to permit electrical continuity checks and connection with respect to all conductors of said arrays, respectively, after assembly of said devices,

means forming a bore hole in one of said glass plates and near a corner thereof spaced from the conductors of the array on said one of said plates, a gas exhaust and filling tubulation connected to said bore hole, and a glass sealant sealingly joining said tubulation to said one of said glass plates, and

at least one small spacer rod member having an elongated axis in said thin gas chamber with the long axis thereof parallel to the long direction of one of said conductors in one of said arrays and transverse to the conductors in the other array and with opposed exterior surfaces of said rod member contacting and spacing said dielectric layers. 

1. In a gas discharge display device comprising a first glass plate member having a length L1 and a width W1, where L1 is greater than W1, a second glass plate member having a length L2 and a width W2, where L2 is greater than W1 and W2 is less than L1, a first conductor array on said first plate member, alternate conductors of which extend toward the lateral ends, respectively, of its plate member whereby electrical connection cAn be made to alternate conductors at each lateral end of said first plate member, a thin dielectric coating on the conductors in said first conductor array, a second conductor array on said second plate member, alternate conductors of which extend toward the lateral ends, respectively, of its plate member whereby electrical connection can be made to alternate conductors at each lateral end of said second plate member, a thin dielectric coating on the conductor in said second array, said extended ends of said alternate conductors on each plate being physically grouped with substantially equal members per group, with the said extended ends of substantially all conductors in each group being angulated first away from the long axis thereof and then parallel to the said long axis, spacer-sealant means joining said plates in spaced apart relation with the long axis of said plates, respectively, being transverse to each other to form a thin gas chamber and the lateral ends of each plate member extending beyond the side edges of the other plate member, a gaseous discharge medium in said thin chamber, a gas filling tubulation which extends in a direction normal to said thin gas chamber, and means for mounting said gas filling tubulation on one of said plates comprising, means forming a counterbore in said one plate, an end of said gas tubulation being inserted in said counterbore, a smaller bore concentric with said counterbore and completing the communication to said thin gas chamber for said tubulation, and a glass sealant hermetically placed around the perimeter of said tubulation and forming a hermetic seal therefor.
 2. In a flat gas discharge panel, having a pair of elongated support plates, each having a long axis and a short axis, spacer-sealant means joining said plates in spaced relation and at a transverse angle to each other to form a thin gas chamber, a gaseous discharge medium in said thin chamber, row and column conductor arrays on said plates, respectively, and each array being parallel to the long axis of its support plate, alternate ones of said conductors being extended towards the opposite edges, respectively, and said extended ends being adapted for connection to electrical operating potentials from opposite ends, respectively, of said plates, a pair of thin dielectric layers, one on each conductor array and extending at least to said spacer sealant and to which said spacer sealant is joined to form said thin gas chamber, the improvements comprising; said extended ends of said alternate conductors being physically grouped with substantially equal numbers of conductors per group, with the said extended ends of substantially all conductors in each group being angulated, first, away from the said long axis and then parallel to said long axis.
 3. The invention defined in claim 2, further improvement wherein the angulations in said conductors occur beyond said spacer-sealant means, and wherein said angulation for each conductor in a group occurs at the same distance from an edge of a plate.
 4. In a gas discharge display panel comprising in combination, a pair of elongated flat glass plates each of said glass plates being identically formed and having a conductor array thereon comprised of a plurality of spaced parallel conductors from about 2 to 6 mils in width running in the long direction of said plates, respectively, and a pair of thin dielectric layers, one on each conductor array, and endless spacer-sealant means sealingly joining said plates in spaced relation to define a thin gas discharge chamber between the dielectric layers, and a gas in said chamber, said plates and conductors being oriented such that the axes of said plates along the long dimensions thereof are at transverse angles to each other to define a plurality of discrete discharge points, the respective ends of said plates extending beyond the side edges of the other plate, and said dielectric layers extending beyond said endless spacer-seAlant means, alternate ones only of said conductors extending toward one edge of said plates and the others only of said conductors extending toward the opposite edge of said plates, respectively, wherein the ends of alternate conductors not extended to the said lateral edges project at a short distance beyond the said spacer-sealant means and also a short distance beyond the edges of said dielectric layers, respectively, so that each terminal end of a conductor is exposed to permit electrical continuity checks and connection with respect to all conductors of said arrays, respectively, after assembly of said devices, means forming a bore hole in one of said glass plates and near a corner thereof spaced from the conductors of the array on said one of said plates, a gas exhaust and filling tubulation connected to said bore hole, and a glass sealant sealingly joining said tubulation to said one of said glass plates, and at least one small spacer rod member having an elongated axis in said thin gas chamber with the long axis thereof parallel to the long direction of one of said conductors in one of said arrays and transverse to the conductors in the other array and with opposed exterior surfaces of said rod member contacting and spacing said dielectric layers. 